RESUMO
AIM: The aim of this study is to evaluate the characteristics of socket repair after teeth extraction with loss of a bone plate. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Lower incisors were extracted from 120-day-old male rabbits. A standardized defect of 5 mm in the buccal plate was created in one of the socket sites. Furthermore, complete closures of the sockets entrance were performed. Two groups of biopsies were obtained: one with 14 days of healing and the other with 112, to perform the micro-CT and histological evaluations of the tested group with plate loss comparing with the control group with the intact buccal bone wall. RESULTS: Plate loss sites demonstrated reduction in width when compared to the intact ones and, this difference decreased with time. CONCLUSION: Long-term analysis showed that plate loss interfered in final ridge measurements by reducing the middle portion of the socket width compared to the intact plate sockets. The histological and micro-CT qualitative analysis showed that both sites presented similar pattern of healing, despite the reduced dimension found in plate loss sites.
